PESHAWAR, June 11: The NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani said on Wednesday “we cannot even think of compromising on honour, dignity and Islam,” adding that “our forefathers had fought courageously for these principles,” and instead of bowing down, proved themselves rock-solid.

“The NWFP government is endeavouring for good relations between the federal and provincial governments, which is inevitable for uplift of the country, nation and the province,” he said while speaking at a public meeting at Sokri on the first leg of his three-day visit to the Bannu district.

He said “we have no lust for power, but the nation had reposed confidence in us.” He said the NWFP government was quite strong and stable, and efforts at converting “our majority into a minority would be foiled.” He added: “The MMA workers know how to deal with such conspirators.”

Referring to the recent high-level administrative changes in the province, he lauded the “decency” and “tolerance” of Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain who, he said, had excused with the provincial government on this issue.

The chief minister said that the MMA government, in a short span of six months, had got the Shariah Bill passed unanimously. “It proved that we are practical people, and don’t believe in hollow slogans.”

He said that keeping in view the services rendered by the people of Bannu for Islam and the country, the MMA leadership gave the chief minister’s slot to the area.

He said the provincial government would not tolerate any corruption, use of illegal power and injustice to anyone. He said in spite of proofs against certain Nazims, he, instead of using his powers as the NWFP’s chief executive, had referred the matter to the provincial assembly where a special committee was investigating it.

About the development process, he said that adequate resources had been provided to all the 24 districts. Every district had been given countless tubewells and schools of which there was no precedence in the past.

He said there was an acute shortage of healthcare facilities in Bannu district, and now work on Khalifa Gul Nawaz Medical Complex was going on apace which would cost Rs180 million.

On this occasion MNA Maulana Naseeb Ali Shah, minority MPA Felix Innocent and MPA Syed Hamid Shah also addressed the gathering.